Bounce
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: Individual Series of Tags to the Season Six Episode, Bounce.
1. Boat Bourbon Basement

AN: This episode has definitely joined my list of favorites. Enough Tony/Gibbs friendship to last a lifetime :). Here's a quick beginning to what I hope will be many inspired Tags! Thanks and Enjoy! More to come soon.

--

_**Tony**_: _Boat. Bourbon. Basement. I get it. _

_--_

Gibbs set his glass down when he heard the faint foot steps of someone in his home. His eye sight may have been going, but his hearing was as sharp as ever. And not just anyone had the designer shoes to walk that softly.

"Nothing worth taking up there DiNozzo…" He shouted well before Tony had made his way through the basement door and down a few steps.

"I was just…"

"Debating whether or not to come down here?" Gibbs finished for him and motioned towards the empty glass on his work table.

"You were expecting me?"

Gibbs poured liberally into his glass and let his stare speak for itself.

"Thanks boss." He took the glass and gazed around a bit. "She's looking good boss… think you'll ever take her out?"

"Bourbon. Boat. Basement, remember? I didn't hear the word talk in there did you?"

"Right," Tony agreed with a smile. "So should I sand or something?"

"How about you just watch for a little while?"

Tony knew better than to question him and sipped his drink slowly. It was after a fair amount of watching and a fair amount of bourbon before Tony broke the silence. "So you think you'll ever go back to Mexico?"

Gibbs picked up on the tone in his voice and almost smiled. He figured it'd be at least two full glasses before Tony started posing questions. "Itchy to get back on the mound already DiNozzo?"

"No," he finished off his glass and took the liberty of refilling both their glasses. "I was just curious. I mean, do you ever think about it?"

"No."

Tony accepted the short response. "So did I pass?"

Gibbs smirked a bit. "Did you come here for affirmation Tony?"

"Ha! Of course not boss." He stopped himself. "Okay, maybe I did."

"I only do sappy once a day. So keep drinking and keep watching."

Tony sighed. "But what about the Boat part of the equation? I know she's your baby and all, but how about a little trust? I used to work on my Dad's boat when I was a kid."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah," he stepped towards the hull. "He let me restock the bar on his yacht."

Gibbs managed a smile before tossing some wax in his direction. "Watch carefully. Or you'll be wearing that Bourbon."

Tony focused as best he could before he was allowed to venture on his own. It took a full ten minutes before Gibbs stopped hovering over him. After their fifth or sixth glass Gibbs figured he'd be carrying Tony up the stairs by the endo f the night.

"Time for bed DiNozzo."

Tony whined. "But I just started getting the hang of this."

Gibbs had to smile as a lasting memory of his daughter rushed his mind. "Boats not going anywhere…"

"And you're not either right?"

Gibbs ran a hand over his face. "DiNozzo, for the last time, I'm not going back to Mexico."

"I knew that." He took a step forward and stumbled a bit, only to have Gibbs reach out a hand to steady him. "I mean who wants around the clock sun, beer and Mike Franks to keep you company?"

"I'll take what I got here just fine."

Tony swayed a bit. "Even a peacock like me?"

Gibbs smiled as he began to lead him up the stairs. "_Especially_ a peacock like you DiNozzo…"


	2. Tell Me, I Can Take It

_**Tony**__: Abby, I'm not Gibbs_

_**Abby**__: Yes you are, because if you're not there's a problem…Okay tell me I can take it, wait I cant…_

_**Tony**__: Rule 38_

_**Abby**__: Oh…_

_--_

Gibbs was engulfed in an Abby embrace before he even stepped into her lab.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! I missed you!"

"Can't…breathe…Abs."

She eased off some pressure but still held onto him. "Sorry. It's just I missed you so much! Oh I missed you."

"I got that Abs."

She eventually released him and stood at attention with a smile. "What can I do for you Gibbs Senior."

"Senior?"

"Well yeah, you know. Tony is Gibbs Junior…anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to check in."

Abby read his expression. "You missed me _didn't_ you?"

He let a smile run across his face. "Abs…"

She pointed at him. "Oh you_ so_ did…"

"I was just coming down to give you this." He handed her the Caf Pow and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Nice work today."

She watched him turn to leave. "So are you saying you didn't miss me?"

He looked back to see the pout on her face and sighed. "Of course I missed you Abs."

"Then why didn't you just say that?"

He sent her a smile. "Because I didn't think I had to…"


	3. Ziva's On Facebook?

_**Tony**__: Ziva's on facebook? _

--

"No way Tony."

"Come on Probie…how long could it take to figure out her password?"

McGee looked around the bull pen. "It doesn't matter how long, cuz I'm not going to find it out. If you want to see her page then create an account and add her yourself."

"Do you have any idea how many ex-girlfriends would stalk me on there? Not a chance."

"Yeah? Well Ziva's gonna be stalking me if I do this for you. So go away."

Tony stood still. "I'll get you another copy of those bikini photos."

"Really?" Tim snapped his head towards him before shaking his head. "No way….it's not worth it if I wont be alive to enjoy them. Now stop obsessing."

"Anthony DiNozzo does not obsess, he investigates."

"Then go _investigate_ on your own computer." He waved his hand towards his partner's desk. "I'm not gonna do it."

"In case you've forgotten, I'm the boss to be Probie…"

"Then get back to me, cuz until then, I'm gonna chose life instead of death."

Tony resisted head slapping him just as Gibbs entered the bull pen. "Oh hey boss…"

"Stop trying to black mail McGee, DiNozzo…"

"How would you now…"

Gibbs interrupted. "He's sweating."

Tim rubbed at his brow just as Tony glanced at his forehead.

"Fever McGee?" Ziva added, just as she swooped in behind her desk.

"No, I'm good." He ran his sleeve over his face. "Tony was just trying to get me to hack into your facebook account."

Tony stood his mouth a gasped. "I was not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

Ziva made her way between both of them. "I am proud of you McGee."

"Oh whatever, he was just fearing for his life cuz you're an assassin."

"And you are not fearful?"

Tony met the look in her eyes. "I'm suddenly changing my position…"

Gibbs hollered over the exchange. "How about you three get to work before I give you all something to be afraid of."

As soon as he finished the phrase they were at their desks and attempting to look busy. Almost an hour passed before Ziva opened up her email to see a friend request from none other than Anthony DiNardo. She accepted it without a moment's hesitation and looked over at her partner. "We are friends."

Tony smiled at her but chose not to respond; his mind wondering if someday, they just might be more than that.


	4. More Of A Hiatus Really

_**Tony**__: My first collar as boss three years ago, when you took your Mexican sabbatical, intermission…it was a hiatus really. _

_--_

"So you're saying you like Gibbs better as boss? I mean if that's what you're saying than just say it…I can take it."

Abby dipped her fries in some ketchup before smiling across the table at him. "Tony, it's Gibbs. No one is better than Gibbs."

"It's not like he's walked on water or anything…"

She washed down the fries with some Caf-Pow. "So you're comparing him with Jesus Christ?"

"Well not directly." Tony countered, lifting up his burger and setting it back down. "I just don't think I did all that bad of a job, that's all."

She pet him on the head playfully. "Tony, where would Butch Cassidy be without the Sun Dance Kid? Where would Norm be without Cliff? Fred without Barney? Bert without Ernie?"

"Abs…"

"Laverne without Shirley…" She continued before meeting the look on his face. "What?"

"I get the point."

She nodded. "Good. So stop pining and finish that burger before I do."

He slapped her hand away playfully as she made a grab for it. "Hey, watch it. Or I'll be forced to use force."

The last word suddenly caused her to snap her fingers in realization. "Luke Skywalker without Darth Vader…"


	5. He's Earned It

_**Gibbs**__: Ah, he's earned it. _

_--_

The drive back to NCIS was awkwardly silent until Tony decided to break it.

"So no more camp fires?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"No more calling me boss?"

Gibbs repeated the expression of disagreement.

"No more getting me coffee?"

--Head Slap--

"Shutting up boss."


	6. Not My Job Before

_**Tim:**__ We've just never heard you say that much in one day before. _

_**Ziva:**__ Or in a week. _

_**Gibbs**__: Wasn't my job before._

_--_

"What do you think he meant by that?" Tim posed the question after he and his two teammates entered the elevator to go home.

"The boss is better left unanalyzed Probie, trust me."

Ziva chimed in next. "He meant that it is his job to teach us McGee. You understood that yes?"

"Well yeah," he agreed. "But how often does he already know the answer when he asks us? I mean if he already knows than wouldn't he be wasting time by asking us…and in turn following leads he knows wont get us anywhere?"

"You've been spending too much time with Abby, McRunOn…"

"Gibbs would not send us on a wild geese chase." Ziva countered.

"Goose," Tony corrected. "Goose."

"But sometimes there _is_ more than one goose to chase yes?"

Tony nodded. "Touché."

"I'm serious guys, I mean cant you help but wonder if we are just puppets in a show?"

Tony and Ziva glanced at each other for a moment.

"Probie, let me do the metaphors okay? First of all, could the boss do this job on his own? Probably. Does he really need us to take pictures, sketch and interview? Probably. Would it take him twice as long without us? Probably. So quit worrying about whether we're puppets and keep worrying about having an answer when he asks a question. Otherwise…you'll be doing puppet shows for a living."

Ziva nodded towards him. "Well said Tony."

"Thanks…" He sent her a smile before patting McGee on the back and stepping off the elevator. "That give you your answer Probie?"

Tim smiled in return. "You know, I never thought I'd say this Tony, but you're right."

Tony waved as he walked towards his car. "It's been known to happen."


End file.
